1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage case for use in enclosing memory cards, for example.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In recent years, memory cards are widely used as mass-storage recording mediums for storing data from electronic devices such as personal computers and digital cameras.
While a terminal portion of a memory card is being exposed, terminals at the terminal portion are unavoidably smudged by dusts, or the like and data cannot accurately be written in and read out from the memory card. Accordingly, the memory card is generally enclosed in its own case and protected from dusts.
A conventional storage case for a memory card is shaped like a bag formed of two stacked polyethylene sheets joined by heat sealing and is therefore generally simple in structure.
Such a conventional storage case cannot protect the enclosed memory card from being smudged by dusts which are easily entered from its opening portion. This opening portion of the storage case brings a risk that the memory card will be dropped from the opening portion unintentionally while a user is carrying the storage case.
To overcome the above shortcomings, there is proposed some storage case having a lid to open and close its opening portion to protect an enclosed object from dusts. Such proposed storage case is difficult to handle because it takes a lot of time and labor for users to open and close the lid.
In view of the aforesaid aspect, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage case in which an enclosed object can reliably be prevented from being smudged by dusts and the enclosed object can also reliably be prevented from being dropped unintentionally and which is easy to handle.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, a storage case according to the present invention comprises:
a base half,
a slide half slidablly combined with the base half
lid provided integrally with the slide half to open and close an opening portion for admitting or ejecting an enclosed object, wherein there is provided a structure in which
cam grooves provided on either side of the base half and the lid are engaged with protrusions on the other side, and when
the slide half is subjected to slide operation relative to the base half, the protrusions move along in continuous contact with the cam grooves to thereby open and close the lid.
With the storage case constituted in such a fashion according to the present invention, since the opening portion is firmly closed by the lid while the enclosed object is being enclosed in the storage case, the storage case can surely be prevented from being smudged by dusts and the enclosed object in the storage case can reliably be prevented from being dropped unintentionally.
In this storage case, since the lid opens and closes as the slide half is slid, a user can easily get the enclosed object in and out of the storage case by only sliding the slide half, and hence the storage case is considerably easy to handle.